Estonian diplomat: Russia is a mid-level power, but difficult for the US to deal with

23

In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin dumbfounded the West from the rostrum of the Munich conference. He criticized the unipolar world and demanded the formation of a new "world security architecture", writes Sylvie Kofman, a columnist for the French newspaper Le Monde.

We left there dumbfounded. We realized that the bracket that closed the Cold War has reopened

- one of the participants of the mentioned event from France brought to the author his memoirs.



The author notes that Putin's Munich speech marked a turning point in history. Then there were Crimea, Donbass and other "moments". Therefore, it is surprising for the observer why the Western public, years later, is indignant at the demands of Russia on the United States and NATO, voiced at the end of 2021, because they do not differ from those set forth by Putin earlier.

The Russian Federation views the expansion of the Alliance extremely negatively, but Washington ignores Moscow's concerns. At the same time, the United States has long regarded China as its main competitor and priority. In November 2021, the United States raised the alarm about the concentration of the Russian army on the border with Ukraine. Moscow has clearly caught Washington by surprise. The Russians have demonstrated "aggressiveness", and the Americans are allowed to act according to the situation.

Currently, the European partners of the United States are embarrassed by the evacuation of troops from Afghanistan and are concerned about the lack of clarity and foresight in Washington's actions. They see a contrast between the extremely harsh rhetoric of the Americans about Taiwan, which is on the list of "vital" interests, and his sluggish statements about Ukraine, about which there are no such words. Meanwhile, Finland said it could apply to join NATO at any time in order to increase its security.

The United States knows how to manage the great powers. But Russia, which is a declining middle-level power but has powerful means to create inconveniences, is a more complex object for them. It is difficult for the USA to deal with it

- told the author an Estonian diplomat, head of the Institute of Foreign policy Christy Raik of Estonia, clarifying that Putin tried to check how much room the Russian Federation has for maneuver in Europe, because the degree of US involvement in European security causes uncertainty.

The author added that Washington simultaneously needs to communicate with its European allies, who have different attitudes towards Moscow. For example, Finland knows Russia very well. It is not for nothing that the president of this country Sauli Niinistö, speaking about it, quotes Henry Kissinger - when a group of powers sets the main goal of avoiding war, the international system becomes a hostage of the most ruthless of its members, the author summed up.
  • Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Our news channels

Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest news and the most important events of the day.

23 comments
Information
Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.
  1. +5
    9 January 2022 11: 32
    Estonia is a country with a ruined industry and the country with the largest debtor on EU loans. The country from which young people leave. A country in which, officially, 27% of the population lives below the poverty line. And then some kind of woman blathers something
    1. +5
      9 January 2022 11: 48
      Right now Vladest will come and show everyone his "wintering crayfish".)
    2. +1
      9 January 2022 12: 20
      There has never been industry in Estonia, only agriculture. And the military bases of the Soviet army.
      1. +2
        9 January 2022 14: 09
        This is where you are greatly mistaken. Look in the wiki "List of large enterprises of Soviet Estonia"
        Be surprised. Set up over the post-war period. Considering the size of the population, the list is very decent. There was something to destroy the Estonians in 30 years of independence. But they did it.
        To the plant them. Pegelman at least look. Electronic industry! MIC! Valuable equipment was sold for pennies to Sweden, the rest for scrap.
        Is that the experimental brewery in Saku survived? The beer was great.
        1. 0
          12 January 2022 23: 27
          Of the serious ones, I agree, the Pegelman plant and the Dvigatel plant, the rest were at the level of consumer cooperation. And the brewery in Saku is still working, but I prefer A.Le Coq))
    3. avg
      0
      9 January 2022 17: 30
      This is a modern European something. If she were a woman, she would understand that in the event of a conflict, Estonia will not be the first. Moreover, the conflict is likely to be quickly extinguished.
  2. +2
    9 January 2022 11: 40
    Living on EU subsidies is great
  3. +2
    9 January 2022 12: 17
    Estonian humor! The United States cannot cope with Great Estonia, everyone is importing greens and the country is all great and great.
  4. +7
    9 January 2022 12: 28
    It is interesting to watch a louse evaluating a dog.
    1. +1
      9 January 2022 13: 47
      The main thing is not to let her crawl ...
    2. +1
      9 January 2022 16: 12
      - For a louse ?! Or maybe man ....... ?!
  5. +1
    9 January 2022 12: 33
    Quote: Dust
    Living on EU subsidies is great

    You have forgotten one more article of economics. A huge part of the able-bodied population, working in the EU, and supporting their remaining fellow citizens with the money they send. Loot is coming, and the population is well reduced. For example, for Ukraine, this figure is much less. There still remain 32 million. In Estonia, for the remaining five hundred thousand, this is the most significant.
  6. +4
    9 January 2022 13: 46
    Fashion in Europe went to inadequate ladies as heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (as well as the Ministry of Defense). In Germany, freshly baked green Berbock does not understand what it is, and this one is no better.

    - Kristi Raik, an Estonian diplomat, head of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, told the author, specifying that Putin tried to check how much room the Russian Federation has for maneuver in Europe,

    Putin has enough room to maneuver to get the Chukhons to put their teeth on the shelf. This has already begun. If we compare December 2020. from December 2021, then:

    Electricity supplied to houses was more expensive by 120,0%, heating - by 40,1% and gas - by 122,5% more expensive. The impact of price changes related to transport accounted for about 20% of the overall increase in the index. Gasoline was more expensive by 25,5% and diesel fuel - by 29,4%, vehicles went up by 17% ”. Of the foodstuffs, the most significant growth was observed for potatoes (110,1%), fresh fish (35,2%) and fresh vegetables (26,7%).

    And this is just the beginning. When it comes to sowing, it turns out that there are either no fertilizers, or they are at wild prices. Since their production in Europe (and in Ukraine) has been stopped. Gas is expensive, electricity is too.
    The yield of agricultural crops will fall, the price of food will skyrocket (even to these prices). Well, of course, energy carriers are the main component in the cost of fertilizers. In Belarus, gas - $ 128, its own nuclear power plant. Lithuania demolished its nuclear power plant, gas - at European prices. I no longer compare with Russia.
    It remains to wish our Baltic non-brothers bon appetit laughing
    PS And I repeat once again, do not hope that Russia will bring in troops and you will again be able to sit on our neck. This is especially true for Estonia.
  7. +1
    9 January 2022 13: 54
    Quote: boriz
    The main thing is not to let her crawl ...

    Even if she managed to crawl, keep her away from the feeder. She will die by herself. Stop feeding her. And it will not present any interest to the enemies THEN. We feed them. TE, only feeding.
    1. 0
      9 January 2022 14: 32
      keep it away from the trough.

      So for her the feeder is a man or a dog.
      Don't let me crawl to you. And that is, those who like to collect the USSR back. No, only the real Russian population and only by virtue of real necessity. Why do we need, for example, Tallinn? Themselves, let at least three "l" and "n" write. But yourself.
  8. +2
    9 January 2022 14: 42
    Estonia has always been a filthy country.
    And under the USSR, an evil and ungrateful republic.
  9. 0
    9 January 2022 15: 01
    NATO, by itself, can, as much as it pleases, consider itself a bloc not directed against Russia, IF it were not the interests of the Shatov, who are its master and overlord of the countries that belong to it. Exactly the same applies to the EU.
    In turn, the interests of the States also form the own interests of the EU and NATO countries, which receive scraps from the master's table.
    For the States, Russia is a dish on their table, and leftovers that the EU and NATO countries are already counting on.
    This is not to mention the fact that the eggs of the leaders of all countries belonging to the EU and NATO, and of these structures themselves, are tightly gripped in the grip of Uncle Sam. For this, the CIA worked and is working in the sweat of the brow.
    In order to make any negotiations with the West productive, we must first discourage the appetite, and / or spoil the digestion of the States themselves.
    After that, a situation will arise when it will be possible to really deal with a just construction of European and world security.
  10. +1
    9 January 2022 17: 44
    These Baltic militarists, in particular, are like Estonia - it is, after all, a country in any way, a bedding under the fence, and a small mongrel barking at its neighbor.
  11. +1
    9 January 2022 17: 46
    Well, if Russia is a middle-hand power, then Estonia, while in the anecdote it is a pitiful semblance of a left hand.
  12. 0
    9 January 2022 18: 43
    Quote: boriz
    keep it away from the trough.

    So for her the feeder is a man or a dog.
    Don't let me crawl to you. And that is, those who like to collect the USSR back. No, only the real Russian population and only by virtue of real necessity. Why do we need, for example, Tallinn? Themselves, let at least three "l" and "n" write. But yourself.

    I don't believe in unification either. To unite what is striving. The same, or slightly different. But, on the other hand, based on philosophical reflections, this is not possible due to not striving. There is no height difference - the water does not strive. She stands, pleased with herself. No electric potential, no sparks, everyone is fine separately. And, when suddenly one side tramples, it means that he will see a fat one. which they don't have. Why is that to the other side? Eating alone is more fun than in a crowd. There is no and cannot be equality in wealth. Equality in poverty is complete. And the greatest equality is in the cemetery.
  13. +1
    9 January 2022 19: 44
    One great pro-Baltic republic of Lithuania has already punished China; now great Estonia has decided to punish Russia
  14. +1
    9 January 2022 23: 57
    the head of the institute is off scale
  15. 0
    10 January 2022 13: 05
    Estonian diplomat